1. Field of the Invention
A stalk and root shredder that is provided with rollers which grasp and move stalks and roots upwardly into the path of rotation of blades which shred the stalks and roots and deposits them back onto the ground surface. In one embodiment, the stalk and root shredder is hydraulically powered from pump units mounted directly from the tractor and directly connected with the power take off spline thereby eliminating the use of a power take off shaft. The hydraulic system includes separate hydraulic motors for driving the rollers and blades which rotate about vertical axes with the hydraulic system including a cooling arrangement which maintains operating temperatures of the motors and hydraulic fluid within optimum parameters. The stalk and root shredder includes a supporting frame and wheels with this structure being quite similar to that illustrated in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,667 issued Apr. 5, 1977 with the present invention relating to the improvements in the structure and hydraulic operation of the rollers and blade assemblies mounted over the rollers. In another embodiment, the blades rotate about transverse horizontal axes, with the blades and rollers driven from a power take off shaft connected to the power take off of the tractor through a gear box.
2. Description of the Prior Art
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,667 issued Apr. 5, 1977 discloses a stalk and root shredder including rollers and blade assemblies associated with the rollers for pulling stalks and roots upwardly from a plant bed and chopping or shredding the stalks and roots and discharging them back onto the ground. The prior patent includes mechanical drive systems obtaining power from a power take off shaft connected with the power take off of a conventional farm tractor. This structure includes various gear boxes, belt drives and the like which require considerable maintenance and upkeep and also present hazardous operating conditions in view of the rotating shafts, pulleys, gears and the like.
The prior patent and the prior art of record in that patent do not disclose a hydraulically driven assembly in which the rollers have a unique structure and mounting arrangement to enable them to be spring biased to facilitate engagement with and lifting of larger stalks and roots systems together with a hydraulic power system including pump units mounted directly to the farm tractor power take off and hydraulic motors connected directly to the shafts for the rollers and blades.